


Divinity

by aban_ataashi



Series: Goddess!Nona AU [1]
Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Deity!au, F/M, Leaden Key Wins And Woedica Is Restored AU, No Watcher AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:21:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23067667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aban_ataashi/pseuds/aban_ataashi
Summary: But Woedica is Queen over all, and when she decides the circumstances are right, she can catch a soul before it returns to the Wheel. She can remove it from this cycle and offer it something new.Something more.(In which there is no Watcher, the Leaden Key succeeds, and a newly restored Woedica rewards a loyal priestess.)
Relationships: Thaos ix Arkannon/Original Character(s)
Series: Goddess!Nona AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659865
Comments: 14
Kudos: 9
Collections: TTRPG Godsquad





	1. Ascension

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bazylia_de_Grean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/gifts).



> This started as an idea inspired by some questions posted by pillarsheadcanons on Tumblr and then was further encouraged by some fantastic headcanons from Bazylia_de_Grean, so thanks to both of them for inspiring this! (It was also originally much shorter but Nona turned out to have a lot to say on this subject)

All kith are born, and all kith must die.

This is the most basic rule of the universe, the cycle that governs each and every soul. Birth, death, rebirth, on and on until the final end. The gods watch over this passage, doing their parts to preserve the order of existence.

But Woedica is Queen over all, and when she decides the circumstances are right, she can catch a soul before it returns to the Wheel. She can remove it from this cycle and offer it something new.

Something more.

Faith is a peculiar thing.

Nona doesn’t need to be a god to know this, of course; she had spent much of her mortal life studying the concept. More than just studying. She’d spent her life full of faith, never wavering, serving the gods with every breath.

And it was a lie.

Nona does not remember the exact moment she learned the truth. In fact, she does not remember much of her actual transformation at all. What she remembers is Woedica’s voice resounding through her soul, clear and guiding, and suddenly she knows the truth- not through being told, not in words, but a simple sudden _knowing._

She remembers a flurry of emotion, distant to her now- confusion, heartbreak, anger, all flooding over each other and overwhelming her soul. So many things fell into place at that moment, all the secrets and the manipulations and the _lies_.

She remembers the choice offered to her. There is the Wheel, and all of its relief and rebirth and re-forming, the promise of an unburdened soul in the next life. Or there is this- her Queen and her service and a new vow to be made.

And Nona remembers thinking back on her life, on the world and all of its mess and complications and hardships, and on the burning, blazing faith that pulled her through it. She is angry, yes, but would she have truly wanted it any differently? Would she have preferred to sink into corruption like her father, or to set herself adrift in the world with no purpose at all? Would she prefer now to forget it all, to let everything she has been through fade away into dust?

No. Her faith was the one thing they could never take from her, and it will not be taken now.

The moment the decision forms in her mind, Nona’s soul is seized by a bright, searing…not _pain,_ a soul does not feel pain, not exactly. But there was a sensation, sharp and stinging and swelling within her. And then she is no longer a mere mortal- not quite a goddess of full power either, not like the others of the ancient pantheon. But she is closer than she ever has been.

The first thing she hears in her new existence is Woedica’s voice, welcoming her, ringing clear and strong as the oath that led her here.

The first thing she sees is the souls. The flickering flames of faith across all the kith of Eora. Some are low and barely burning, just ashes and kindling; some flicker and flare like candlelight; some burn fiercely, full of fire and heat. Nona sees them all, just as she sees the threads and connections that tie all of these souls together, bind them to the world and to each other and to the gods that they burn so brightly for.

And Nona knows she made the right choice.

Thaos is waiting for her.

Nona shapes herself back into her mortal appearance- or rather, something similar to her mortal appearance. She is no longer quite as she was; a faint shimmer clings to her silhouette, and the delicate golden chains threaded around her arms and hands fill the air with a soft chime as she materializes. When she opens her eyes for the first time, they are the same green she has always had, and yet somehow darker, full of shadows . But she is still clearly _Nona,_ and her physical vessel is more natural than she expects, like pulling on an old coat and being surprised when it still fits.

Thaos senses her a moment before she fully arrives. By the time she has formed, he is standing only a few feet away, looking at her with an expression of relief and guilt in equal measures.

But there is no surprise to be found in his face. He knows already what has happened; Woedica has told him. Nona can see that, and more. She can see the embers of his soul- nothing like the sparks and flames of other kith’s faith, but a low and steady burn, so close to dying out and yet still somehow clinging to life. She can see the threads around him- vows of heavy chains and promises of silk ribbons, linking him back to Woedica, to the Leaden Key, to the gods…to herself.

It is not that she is _trying_ to peer into his soul; it’s not a conscious effort. She simply can.

Thaos takes a step forward, his searching eyes fixed on Nona’s face. “Now you understand.”

Nona meets his gaze. “You never told me.”

“I couldn’t.” Thaos almost moves toward her again, but halts himself. “I am sorry.”

The edges of Nona’s lips lift into a bitter smile. “Even if you could have told me, you wouldn’t have.”

“No,” he says, and his voice is heavy. “You always had so much hope. So much certainty. You deserved to keep it for as long as you could. I would not be the one to take that from you. Not if I could help it.”

This time it is Nona who steps forward, closing the distance between them. “Why? Why keep your secrets- your burden- why do it all alone, when you know I could have helped?”

“You have helped. More than you could ever know.” Thaos gives Nona a tired smile. “And I have told you before that you needn’t worry for me, Jewel.”

And in that moment Nona sees his soul once more, and all the lines and cracks and wear that time has left upon it. She sees Thaos in all of his reincarnations and all of his regrets, and she sees that he is so very _tired._

Slowly, Nona lifts her hand and traces her fingers along Thaos’s cheek. “And I’ve told you that I will worry anyway.”

At her touch, Thaos leans into her hand, lifting his own to cover hers. He takes a ragged breath and closes his eyes. “Nona. You have given so much. I would not ask for more. I can only offer an apology for all I have put you through.”

“I understand, Thaos,” Nona says, and she does. Perhaps she would not have understood, had she learned the truth sooner; she cannot say for sure. But now she has seen for herself the flickering lights of faith in kiths’ souls, and she knows there is nothing she would not do to prevent them from being extinguished. “And I forgive you.”

A deep sigh escapes Thaos’s lips at those words, and Nona can sense some of the tension leave him, although the guilt is still there. She shakes her head at the feeling, and whispers, “And you must realize that you have given me so much more than just that.”

And Nona tilts her head up and kisses him, a kiss like so many they have had before and yet it could almost feel like their first. A part of Nona had been afraid of…she’s not sure of what, exactly. Afraid that it would all feel _different_. But this is still Thaos, still the man she loves, warm and real as he kisses her back, his hands shifting to run through her hair. Nona wraps her arms around his neck to pull him closer, and it is as if nothing at all has changed- save that she is vaguely aware that her faint shimmer has strengthened to a silvery glow, but she does not mind.

When they break away, Nona smiles, and for a moment she feels the low-burning embers of Thaos’s soul flare up just a little bit brighter.


	2. Offerings

The clergy call her The Keeper of the Promises.

She represents the honored vow, the steadfast faith. She is duty and debt and devotion.

Acolytes burn incense and kneel to her in moments of conviction, bringing their prayers and beliefs, and ask her to bless their commitments. They also kneel in moments of doubt, bringing their worries and fears, and ask for guidance.

The Keeper of Promises listens, and accepts their offerings. She touches with them her spirit, granting them strength of will and clarity of purpose. She lights the way for any who wish to follow, just as small, ever-burning candles light her shrines and temples.

Newlyweds call her The Lady of Threads.

It is one of the more romantic aspects of her domain, and the irony is not lost on her. Of all the vows she took in her mortal life, marriage was never one of them. But it is a vow all the same, and so it falls under her care.

New customs form among the faithful. On wedding days, the intended take to leaving small tokens at her shrines, gifts of perfume and silver, as they ask for her to bless their union. Priests invoke her name when they speak of the bond between souls. A special toast is written, and rumors say it is luckiest when done with blackberry wine.

She enjoys these offerings more than she expects. It would be difficult not to, when The Lady of Threads is celebrated and honored as kith joyfully enter their new promise. She watches the weddings with a smile, and blesses the moment when two lives are threaded into one.

Oathbreakers call her Woedica’s Messenger.

For every light, there is a shadow. For every broken word, a punishment. All these years, and kith have still not learned. There are always those who enter vows with gods- even their Queen- and believe they can back out unscathed. Her message is simple: they cannot.

There is always a price to pay for such transgressions, and it is she who collects. Divine bonds are not so easily severed; they remain, hanging heavily like tattered ropes around the traitors’ shoulders. When the time comes, it is a simple enough action to tighten the cord and deliver their souls to her Queen.

It is not a common occurrence that a betrayal is severe enough to warrant her attention, but neither is it rare. Each one reminds her of her father, and she is still not certain whether that makes her duty more difficult, or less. But in either case, The Messenger has a task to perform, and so she does.

Thaos calls her Jewel.

He has always called her this, although the name is less a metaphor now; where once she blushed at his compliments, she now glows brightly, strong enough to blind him in her more forgetful moments.

She has learned to accept gifts and offerings, but she demands nothing from him. Yet he gives all the same. He opens his mind to her willingly, without any secrets or shadows. When he speaks her name it is with a newfound reverence, the way he speaks her hymns and prayers- and also with the same old fondness in his voice she remembers so well. He provides what he has always provided for her- a place to return to, a place where she can feel like she belongs.

Nona is a goddess; she is The Keeper of Promises and The Lady of Threads and Woedica’s Messenger. And with Thaos, in these peaceful moments, she is also still _Nona_.

Of all the offerings she receives, this is the one she treasures most.


	3. Meditations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Sensory Prompt: satin in candlelight

Nona can always sense when Thaos is in her temple. Tonight, she finds him in front of one of her altars. Offerings are laid out across the shrine: vials of perfume, soft ribbons of thread, a dozen small candles. He is in the process of lighting these candles when she appears.

She shimmers into shape at his side, stopping his hand as he moves to light another candle and threading her fingers through his. Thaos’s fingers tighten around hers, and although the light is dim she can sense the smile on his face.

“The service today was lovely,” Nona remarks. She rests her head against Thaos’s shoulder, and he leans into her touch.

“Your congregation is growing,” he says, and brings their interlocked hands to his lips to softly kiss her knuckles.

Distantly, Nona can hear words and rhythms in his thoughts, a prayer she has not yet heard. “Is that a new hymn?”

Thaos nods. “It will be, when it is finished. I have been meditating on it.”

The faint light around Nona’s silhouette strengthens ever so slightly as she listens further to the words echoing in his mind. She lets out a soft laugh and says, “I hope I didn’t interrupt your meditation.”

“You never interrupt my meditation,” Thaos says solemnly. His expression is lightened by a small, wry grin as he looks back at the half-lit altar. “Only my work.”

Nona glances at the altar, and the remaining unlit candles flicker to life in a wave of soft light. The glow reflects faintly off the altar’s satin adornments and throws dancing shadows against the stone walls.

“Would you look at that?” she says, tilting her head. “It would seem your work is finished.”

Thaos chuckles, and she catches the amusement in his thoughts as he notes what an odd use of power it is for her to light the candles of her own shrine. Nona smiles in response. “According to the goddess of the temple, it’s allowed.”

“How very fortunate,” he says, turning to look at her, so close their foreheads are almost touching. “And what is the goddess’s opinion regarding displays of affection in her temple?”

Nona makes a thoughtful noise as she pretends to consider the question. “She’ll allow it in special occasions.”

“She is very gracious, indeed,” Thaos replies. He leans closer and catches Nona’s lips in a soft kiss. Nona cups a hand on his cheek and deepens the kiss, and as she does, she can hear the words of the hymn ringing again in Thaos’s mind.


End file.
